The Dangerous Mission
by horsejumper88
Summary: Lucy finds a strange mission in front of her front door while going to the guild. It is asking for a celestial wizard and dragon slayer. Lucy has no choice, but to ask Gajeel to accompany her. Once they arrive at their clients house, they are transported to a different world, the Land of Darkness. Will the mission bring them closer together? Will they both survive, or die?
1. Arc One

**Authors Note: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy the first chapter to "The Dangerous Mission". This is my first Gajeel and Lucy story, so I'm a little nervous with how it's going to turn out. Anyway, Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. **

_**Arc One **_

It was morning in the beautiful town of Magnolia. The birds were singing, people started to walk on the streets, and most importantly, a beautiful blonde haired, brown-eyed girl woke up from a good nights sleep. Lucy Heartfillia's amazing figure got out of bed, and walked right into the shower. The shower felt amazing to her, like a spa right in her apartment.

Once Lucy was out of the shower, she got dressed. She put on a blue crop top, denim short shorts, her usual black combat boot, and she put her hair in her usual side ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror. _Perfect. _She thought. Lucy walked down stairs, and made herself breakfast. After she finished eating, she brushed her teeth, and put some pink lip-gloss on her lips. She walked over to the mirror again, and inspected her outfit once more. It is now completed.

Lucy grabbed her celestial keys, and started to head for her door. When she closed it and locked it behind her, she saw something on her front step. She bent down, and picked it up. _A job request? _She thought confused. She started to walk towards her most favorite place in the whole world, the Fairy Tail wizard guild. Lucy walked on the stone railing like she always did, and the boatmen told her to be careful. She just waved at them, and continued to read the job.

_HELP! I need a celestial spirit and dragon slayer for this job. People have invaded my homeland, and I need those two types of wizards to come and stop them. I'll give the full details at my house in Crocus. I only will allow people over the age of fifteen for this job. _

_Reward: 2,000,000 jewels_

It made Lucy think what's going on for that person to pay such a high reward, but as long as she has jewels for her rent, she'll gladly do anything. She read over it one more time. That means Wendy won't be able to come with her. The only options she has is Natsu, Laxus, and Gajeel. She started to see who could accompany her. Laxus is on a mission with the Thunder God Tribe, Wendy is too young. That means either Gajeel or Natsu will be able to do the job with her.

Once Lucy reached the guild doors, she folded the paper neatly, and stuffed it in her pocket. She opened the guild doors, and was soon greeted with "hi", and waves. She smiled and waved at them, and walked over to the bar. Lucy asked Mirajane for a chocolate milkshake. The bartender smiled and nodded, and got right to work.

After winning the Grand Magic Games, Fairy Tail has been busy getting new job requests, new members, and not to mention, they got more jewels. Of course, it was spent for beer and any other alcoholic drink, but it made everyone happy… Mainly Cana.

Lucy looked around the guild, and was surprised that she didn't see Team Natsu. She knew that they would be here soon. The blonde beauty heard someone sit next to her, and she smiled at that person. It was Lisanna Strauss, one of her very good friends. After the Grand Magic Games, Lucy, Levy, and Lisanna trained together. The three of them became very close, and the whole guild saw them as sisters. Lisanna and Lucy shared a hug, and started to talk about random subjects. Mira looked over her shoulder at her sister and good friend, and smiled, glad that the two get along so well.

Mirajane put the milkshake down in front of Lucy. Lucy said thank you, and put down a tip for her. The oldest takeover sibling smiled warmly, and took the tip. The two girls continued to talk, and soon Levy joined the conversation. The guild would occasionally hear laughing here and there, knowing they were talking about the jobs they went on with their teams. Levy soon left because she had a job with her friend/teammate Droy, and Jet, her boyfriend. Then Lucy saw Lisanna looked somewhat sad, and asked her what's wrong.

"I hope you don't mind, but is it okay if I go on a mission with Natsu, Erza, and Gray? The job I'm going on needs four people, and I thought of them right away. I'm so sorry," Lisanna said.

Lucy smiled. "Its fine, Lisanna. You can go on a mission with them, and you can join us on missions we go on too. You're practically family to all of us, and we'll be happy if you come," Lucy said to her. Then she started to whisper in Lisanna's ear. "Besides, I have to go on a job too," She got the paper out of her pocket, and showed Lisanna.

Lisanna read it, and look at her worried. "Are you sure? It can be just Gray, Erza, and I on the job. Natsu can help you with this one, besides, you two are already on a team,"

Lucy shook her head yes. "I'm sure. You four go have fun. Either way, I need jewels for my rent. I'm going to get jewels either going solo for one job, or not," She said smiling.

Lisanna hugged Lucy, and Lucy gladly hugged back. The white haired girl handed the blonde-haired woman her job request back, and said "thank you" one more time before heading out of the guild to get the people she needs. Lucy smiled after her, and looked at her job one more time.

Lucy looked around the guild. She saw Wendy leave for a job with Carla, Happy, and Pantherlily. _Wait, what about Gajeel? Doesn't Pantherlily go on jobs with Gajeel? _Lucy thought confused. Then she had an epiphany. Gajeel is Black Steel Gajeel, the Iron _Dragon Slayer_. She knew that she is going to have to get Gajeel to come with her. She gathered up all of the courage to go talk to Gajeel, but that will be after she finishes her chocolate milkshake. It's too good to leave it for just a minute.

If truth be told, Lucy actually has a crush on the Iron Dragon Slayer. The only people who knew that is Erza, Lisanna, and Levy. She was nervous to tell Levy, but the nerves soon left when the solid-script mage told her that she likes Jet. Lisanna thought that she liked Natsu, but Lucy saw him as a protective brother. Erza thought that it was cute, and supports her liking him. She was glad that Erza approves, because everyone remembers how he threw iron knives at her during the Phantom Lord battle while she was pinned to a wall, but everyone forgave him, and now remember that as the past. They forgive him; he is part of their family now.

It definitely surprised Lucy when he helped the guild countless times, like him being a spy for Makarov, helping take down Laxus during Fantasia, helping with Edolas, helping Levy with the S-class exams, and not giving up during the Grand Magic Games when he did the chariot race. Gajeel didn't give up for the sake of Fairy Tail. That made her like him more. She smiled at remembering the memory, but was brought out of her thoughts when she finished the milkshake. Mira took the cup away from her, and Lucy offered to help her clean it. Mira said that it was fine, and got back to work.

Now it is time for the big question. To ask Gajeel if he wants to accompany on her job. If he doesn't, she will go alone. If someone is asking her for help, she isn't going to ignore it. Fairy Tail wizards _never _ignore someone if they need help.

Lucy got off her stool, and made her way over to the Iron Dragon Slayer. Gajeel is wearing his usual sleeveless tunic with the metal studs, feathers studded on his right shoulder, his baggy beige pants tucked into his metal studded combat boots. His black hair was in its usual hairstyle, and the piercings didn't look any different. He is eating his plat of metal and iron. Gajeel looked at Lucy, curious why she is here. He watched as she sat down across from him.

Lucy took a deep breath. She was nervous about asking him. Just thinking about Gajeel turning down the job made Lucy squirm a little bit. She looked at him right into his red eyes with her large brown ones.

"What do ya want, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel asked putting a bolt into his mouth.

"Don't call me 'Bunny Girl'! I only wore that outfit once," Lucy snapped at him.

Gajeel just laughed.

"But really, what do ya want?" He asked her again.

Lucy took out the job request, and handed it to him. Gajeel gladly took it, and read it over a couple of times. He looked at her a couple of times before going back to the job. Lucy saw his eyes widen at the reward. He handed the job back to her, and started to eat his iron again.

"So, what do you think? Coming?" Lucy asked.

"What about Sparky or Salamander?" He asked curious.

"Laxus is on a mission with the Thunder God Tribe. Natsu is on a mission with Lisanna and the rest of Team Natsu," Lucy answered him. "Now answer mine… Please?"

Gajeel thought for a minute. _It does have a high reward, and Pantherlily is on a mission with Wendy. I even get to spend time with her… Eh, why not? _He thought over in his head. Gajeel looked at Lucy. He could literally see, _and _smell the desperation coming from her, mixed with her usual lavender scent.

"Sure. When are we leaving?" Gajeel asked.

"We leave for Crocus tonight at seven," Lucy answered.

"Why seven tonight? Why not go tomorrow?" Gajeel asked again.

"This job request seems urgent. I don't want anything bad to happen, you know?" Lucy answered.

Gajeel nodded. "Then I'll see you tonight at seven,"

He started to get up, and Lucy waved good-bye. He just nodded his head, and left the guild. Lucy put the mission back in her pocket, and walked over to the counter where Mirajane is. Mirajane leaned her elbows against the counter, and looked at Lucy. Lucy stared back before speaking up.

"May I have some water, and could you put some iron in a bag please?" Lucy asked.

"Why iron? Is something going on with you, and Mr. Redfox?" Mirajane asked curious.

Lucy turned beat red, and shook her head no. _Where does Mira get these crazy ideas? Yes, I like him more then a friend, but- I'm going to stop arguing with myself…_ She thought.

"No. We are just going on a mission together, that's all," Lucy said drinking the water Mira just put down.

"Well, be safe you two! See you when you arrive." Mira said putting the iron scraps down in front of her with a smile.

Lucy smiled back, and took the iron scraps. The rest of the day went by, and she had two hours left before leaving for the job. She said her good byes, and left the guild. When she arrived home, she got out her pink suitcase, and started to pack everything that she needs. She packed clothes that matched each other, some snack foods for the train ride to Crocus, Gajeel's iron scraps, and other personal things she might need. When Lucy looked at the time, her eyes literally almost bugged out of her head. She has fifteen minutes until she is supposed to be at the train station to meet Gajeel.

She finished packing, made sure that she has her keys and whip, and is on her way. She locked her apartment behind her, and started to speed walk over to the train station. Lucy checked the time, by asking Horologium telepathically what time it is. He answered 6:57. When he mentioned that, Lucy dashed for it.

When she finally arrived, Lucy saw Gajeel waiting for her on a bench. She slid to a stop next to that bench, and saw that he already bought her tickets.

"Sorry that I'm late," Lucy said out of breath. "Thanks for buying my ticket, Gajeel,"

Gajeel just grunted. "Don't be late next time," He said while the train whistle blew. "That's us, let's go,"

Gajeel grabbed his shoulder bag, and started to walk to the train, with Lucy trailing behind him. Once they choose a booth, they sat down across from each other. Lucy stared out the window, sneaking glances at Gajeel. The whistle blew again, and the train started to move.

That's when Gajeel started to turn pale, and sweat a lot. Lucy looked at him with a sorry look, and sat down next to him. Gajeel looked at her curious. Then he felt Lucy's soft hand gently touch his head, and put it on her lap. He was stiff at first, but soon relaxed. An hour passed, and Gajeel was asleep on Lucy's lap. Lucy started to get tired herself, and soon fell asleep too.

**So, what do you think? I hope I didn't get them out of character. I'll update the next chapter soon! Review! **


	2. Arc Two

**Authors Note: Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter! Sorry that I didn't update right away! I had to do some things for the past couple of days. So, here is chapter two. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail, and it's amazing characters! **

_**Arc Two **_

Lucy's eyes fluttered open as the sun shinned through the window. She yawned, and looked out the window. It was the next day, and she could tell that they are almost in Crocus. _I might as well get dressed. _She thought. Lucy was about to get up, but stopped when she felt something on her lap. She looked down, and blushed. Gajeel was sleeping peacefully on her lap, and she couldn't help, but smile. _Gajeel is even cuter when he isn't destroying anything. _Lucy thought happily.

Lucy gently lifted his head off her lap, and gently put him on the booth's cushion. She looked at him once again before going over to her pink suitcase. After she got her clothes, she walked away, trying to find the girl's bathroom. When she found it, she entered the room, and went into a stall.

Lucy is wearing a pink tube top with a white jacket over it, skinny jeans, and her combat boots. She unzipped the jacket to show some cleavage, but not much. She left her hair down, and put on some light pink lip-gloss. The outfit was simple, but sexy. Lucy smiled, and put on her lavender perfume before heading over to the booth where Gajeel is sleeping.

When Lucy arrived, the train started to slow down to a stop, and she saw the streets of Crocus. She remembers that the last time she was here; it was for the Grand Magic Games. She smiled as she recalled Fairy Tail winning, but frowned when she lost her two matches. Raven Tail cheated for her first one, and if they didn't, she would have won. Then she entered the Naval Battle… She still remembers the pain she endured while being tortured by Minerva. She shivered.

"Why are you shivering?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy looked up at Gajeel. He was standing up, and looked perfectly fine now that the train stopped. She sighed.

"I was remembering the Naval Battle," Lucy said getting her suitcase.

Gajeel's face was soon written in anger. He remembers how Minerva tortured Lucy. He hates how Sabertooth just laughed at her. Gajeel looked at her, and saw the hurt in her eyes. _Bunny Girl still must think that she let us down. _He thought. Gajeel put a hand on her shoulder. Lucy looked up at him.

"You didn't let us down, Lucy. Minerva took your keys, and you became defenseless. You still stood up to her, and endured the pain. None of us think that you let us down, so, get over the past, and move on," Gajeel said sternly. He thought that it was the appropriate time to use her real name.

Lucy blushed when Gajeel used her real name. She just nodded her head, still looking into his red eyes. Gajeel's hand left her shoulder, and he grabbed his shoulder bag. Lucy followed him out of the train, and into the busy streets of Crocus.

People crowded the streets of Crocus, going in and out of stores, bakeries, markets, cafés, etc… Lucy smiled when she smelled the fresh food. Then she heard someone's stomach grumble. The blonde girl looked up at Gajeel. He turned his head, embarrassed. Lucy stopped him for a minute, and got out the iron scraps she got from Mira. Gajeel smirked, took the iron from her, opened the bag, and started to eat it. Lucy smiled, and got out Trail Mix to eat too.

As the two were walking, some guy in a black trench coat approached them. Lucy and Gajeel stopped, and looked at the man confused. The guy in the trench coat saw Gajeel's black guild mark, and Lucy's pink guild mark.

"You must be the people who got my job request," He said. His voice is somewhat scratchy, and sounds out of breath. Gajeel and Lucy nodded. "Then come with me. We must hurry."

The two wizards followed him into a house that was in the outskirts of Crocus. The man's house is like any house. The outside is painted white, there are windows with shutters, and flowers are surrounding the house. The man let them in, and sat them down in the living room. The living room had a dark colored wood floor, a zebra patterned carpet under the two couches and coffee table. There is a door leading to the kitchen, and stairs leading up to the bedrooms.

Gajeel and Lucy just looked around the house before the guy came back, and set down some food. They both thanked him, and started to eat.

"Thank you, for accepting my job request. You came to me at the right time," The guy said taking off his hood. He has black straight hair that just covered his ocean blue eyes. "I'm Kita*, and you are?"

"I'm Lucy Heartfillia, a Celestial Wizard. Pleased to meet you!" Lucy said shaking Kita's hand.

Kita gave her a heart-warming smile, and she turned red a little bit. Gajeel just grunted, and moved closer to Lucy. Kita noticed this and smirked at Gajeel. The Iron dragon slayer looked at him weirdly, but introduced him self politely.

"I'm Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer. Now, let's talk more about the job, and less time flirting," Gajeel said sort of or mad.

Lucy smacked him in the back of the head. Gajeel glared at her, and Lucy puffed out her cheeks. To Kita, it was very amusing watching the two of them. When the two wizards focused their attention back on the client, he started to talk again.

"Let me start from the beginning… I'm from the Land of Darkness, but it was once known as the Land of Hope. Two wizards came into my world, and turned everything to darkness. The Land became barren of life, and the water became dangerous to swim in. The creatures that we all adored died when they casted the spell," Kita said. Lucy and Gajeel focused on what he was saying. "Though, they un-died, and came back to life, but only as skeleton creatures that hated us humans. Some people from different towns turned themselves over into darkness, and left their families to serve for those two wizards," He looked at the two wizards in front of him.

Lucy was moving closer to Gajeel for comfort, and Gajeel moved his elbow closer to her, and let it rest on the arm that is closest to him. Kita continued the story.

"Many people who tried to stand up against them got killed, and also came back to life as skeleton warriors. They are not in action, but if the fallen souls sense an intruder in their area, they will awaken. Many of the gods that we believe in left many gates, portals, and useful items to help my people. Though, one god turned on its people, and turned them into stone, and left deadly posts around a certain area," Kita said. "In some towns, people turned into birds and dog creatures. They still walk on two legs and talk, but their appearance, like I said, changed. In addition, some of the creatures are now able to walk on two legs, and wield weapons. Any questions?" He concluded.

Gajeel sat their, thinking over what happened. _Those people have been through some ruff times… It is so messed up! _He thought. Lucy was thinking about many questions to ask. She felt like he gave them good enough information, but she still needed more info to know how to go into the job without getting killed.

"Do you know what the two people look like? Also, what are some of the gates, portals, and other useful items you told us about?" Lucy asked.

Gajeel nodded in agreement with her. He wanted more information as well.

"The God Mūn* set up the Eyes of Mūn posts to watch over the gates. You have to sneak past them to get through the gate. Then there is the deadly Eyes of Mūn posts that shot rays at the intruder it senses. I can go through _anything_," Kita said. Gajeel gulped, his iron magic cannot be broken, but hearing that from Kita, it changed his mind. "The Portal God is Pýli̱* has certain portal spots where citizens can transfer to a safer area, or an area that leads to another town," Kita stopped, waiting for questions. Lucy nodded her head as if saying to continue. "As for the two wizards, all I know is that they are both men. Anything else?"

"Are there still some creatures that like humans? We need more information about them, so we know what we are up against," Gajeel asked while Lucy nodded in agreement.

"Yes, there are," Kita said. "So, any more questions?"

Gajeel and Lucy shock their heads no. Kita smiled, and motioned for them to stand up. Kita started to chant words that sound like a different language to them.

"Aperite portas aliis inhaerentis. Ego praecipio tibi ut aperias terræ tenebrous*!" Kita then extended his arms to the sky.

The floor underneath the three mages started to change to a dark purple color. Lucy grabbed onto Gajeel's arm, afraid of where this might take them. Gajeel stayed close to Lucy to comfort her. He wouldn't admit this with the client across from him, but seeing the ground as a dark purple color made him think that he is a dark mage. Even though he could be wrong.

A few seconds pasted, everything around the three mages started to disappear, and a new area appeared before them. The two Fairy Tail mages couldn't see the land that they were transported too. They just stood there facing a wall. Kita was breathing heavy, knowing that he is only has enough magic to bring him back to Earth Land. Before he goes, he should give them some last minute pointers.

"Gajeel and Lucy," Kita said. The two said people looked right at him. "In this world, you're going to have to be on your highest alert. Remember; _don't_ put too much trust in some of the people here. Yes, there are some good people, but some may be kind to you, and then turn out to be followers of darkness. Also, look for the blood of Buraddo*. It will help you walk on lava," Kita started to fade. "Also, combine your power to destroy the Castle of Pain! I Believe that will stop the darkness," The two mages could barely see Kita now. "Good luck, my fellow wizards!"

Then Kita disappeared, leaving Gajeel and Lucy in a place that wasn't familiar to them.

**I hope you liked this chapter. I'm sorry if there was too much talking. I had to get all of the information out somehow, you know. Anyway, here are the translations:**

**Kita- Japanese for North **

**Mūn- Japanese for Moon**

**Pýli̱- Greek for Portal **

**Aperite portas aliis inhaerentis. Ego praecipio tibi ut aperias terræ tenebrous- Latin for "Open the portal to the other dimension. I command thee to open the Land Of Darkness"**

**Buraddo- Japanese for Blood **

**Sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes! The next chapter will be up soon! **


	3. Arc Three

**Authors Note: Hey everyone. I went to a carnival a two nights ago, and I'm a little bruised and bet up from it. Plus I haven't gotten good sleep the past two nights. So, if there is something a little messed up, you know why. Anyway, Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. **

_**Arc Three **_

Once Kita left the two Fairy Tail mages, they turned around to face the area they were in. Lucy's eyes widened in horror, and Gajeel was just plain shocked. The land was made of black rock, with nothing living. Skeletons of creatures roamed the land, weapons were everywhere, and only three palm trees stood up, looking partly dead. A lava fall was flowing down the other side of the valley. A mountain was to the left of them, and to the right is the Castle of Pain.

Lucy walked over to the right, and got a better look at the castle. The building was made of black stone, with many towers connected to it with walk ways. A red piercing ray was being fired towards the sky, causing the sky to turn a dark purple, not blue. _That would explain why everything around here has changed. _Lucy thought. She felt something crumbled underneath her.

Gajeel heard it, and was running towards her. The ground underneath Lucy fell apart, and she was going down with it. The Iron dragon slayer dived onto the ground, and grabbed her hand just in time. The blonde beauty was dangling from the side, looking scared out of her mind. Gajeel pulled her up, and Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, while Gajeel had his arms wrapped around her. They watched as the fallen ground fell right into the boiling lava, and disappeared. _That could have been Bunny Girl… _Gajeel thought freaked out. Lucy voice ran through his ears.

"T-thank you, G-Gajeel. I-I owe you one," Lucy said. Her voice was shaky, and had a lot of fear in it.

Gajeel patted her back. "No problem. You don't owe me anything, Bunny Girl. You just being alive is perfect. I'm not losing a comrade any time soon," Gajeel said looking into her brown eyes. Lucy looked into his red eyes. "Anyway, we should explore the area, and try to find a path that will lead us to the Castle of Pain faster,"

The two of them got up, and moved away from the area. Lucy started to walk ahead, looking for anything. Gajeel went off, and looked for anything on higher ground. Lucy soon saw a few flowers that were shaped like bombs. She knew that it could be dangerous, but got a closer look at it. When her arm accidentally brushed it, it started to light up. She quickly back away from the flower. It exploded fire, and it made her fly back a few feet. Lucy got up, brushed the dirt off of her, and watched it turn back into its original form. She heard an explosion go off, and guessed that Gajeel found what she found. Her guess was clarified when she heard him curse at it after another explosion was caused.

Lucy walked away from the spot, and over to a pool of lava that was filled from the lava fall. The only thing she saw was the rocks that continued to fall from the lava fall, and into the lava. She turned around, and headed the way she came, eyes open, hoping that she doesn't come across any danger. She already almost got killed once.

Gajeel walked away from the troublesome exploding fire flower. He doesn't want to waste any time trying to find a way to the Castle of Pain, and end this madness so he could go home. He walked over to the top of the lava fall. He looked around, and saw an other platform with a wall blocking the way. His red eyes followed it, until he saw some sort of gate thing. _Something has to be there. _Gajeel thought. Then he looked at the rocks that were coming from a tunnel. Then he spun around and saw a geyser that looked like it isn't going to explode soon. _I'm going to need Lucy… _Gajeel walked away from where he is standing, and walked to the edge of the little hill. He saw Lucy walking away from a pool of lava.

"Lucy! I found something up here!" Gajeel shouted.

Lucy spun around to look at him, and shouted back. "I'll be up shortly!"

Gajeel waited for Lucy where he is standing. He soon heard footsteps running towards him, and turned around. Lucy was running towards him. Once she stopped, he showed her what he found, and thinks that this is some sort of puzzle. Lucy walked around the edge of the platform they are standing on, with Gajeel close to her. She stopped, and looked at the gate, then the rocks.

"Watch what I do, and then copy it," Lucy said backing up a little bit.

Gajeel looked at her confused, but finally got it when she sprinted towards the lava. He started running after Lucy when she jumped onto the rock that was floating in the lava. It tipped a few times, but she balanced, and soon jumped onto the rock next to the one she was on. Gajeel stopped running when he saw that she is okay. When Lucy was right at the edge of the lava fall, she jumped onto the platform on the other side. She motioned for Gajeel to follow her. Gajeel back up the same length as her, and ran towards the rocks that were coming. He jumped on the first one with ease, and jumped onto the next one right away. Lastly, he jumped where Lucy is. She raised an eyebrow at him as he walked over to her.

Gajeel leaned his face close to hers, and smirked. "Piece of cake, _Bunny Girl_…"

Lucy blushed redder then Erza's hair, and watched as Gajeel walked away with the same smirk on his face. She soon shook her head, and followed after him. They stopped at the stone wall, and looked at the gate. Gajeel started to climb the wall with Lucy following him. Once he reached the surface, he helped Lucy up, and turned to face the gate. Lucy walked up to it, and pushed against it. It didn't budge. She kept pushing at it, and nothing happened every time. She turned towards the Iron Dragon Slayer, and gave him an _Eat the Iron, or smash it into a million pieces _look. Gajeel grinned, and turned his arm into Iron Dragon's Sword. Lucy stepped back a little bit, and watched him slice the gate until it was not there anymore. Gajeel's arm turned back to normal, and walked inside the cave with Lucy.

They followed the cave until they reached a statue with blood dripping out of it, and Exploding Fire Flowers surrounding it. Lucy started to remember what Kita told them with the Blood of Buraddo, and how it allows you to walk on lava.

"Gajeel, remember Kita telling us about the Blood of Buraddo?" Lucy asked. Gajeel nodded his head. "That has to be it. It's too obvious. That tunnel with the rocks coming out with the lava has something in it, and that's why the blood is here. We have to find a way to get rid of the flowers so we can stand under the blood. Then, we can walk on the lava to find out what's in the tunnel, all right?"

Gajeel nodded his head, used Iron Dragon's Scales and sword, and started to cut the tops off of the flowers. They would explode on contact, but it would not grow back since Gajeel took off the heads. Soon, the blood was safe to be in, and Gajeel let Lucy in first. Lucy smiled, and walked into it. The blood felt warm on her skin, and she was thankful that it didn't ruin her hair or clothes. The blood stopped dripping, and she walked out of it. When Gajeel entered, it started to drip on him too. The deep smell of blood filled his nose, and he exited out of it when it stopped. A red glow came from the two mages, letting them know that it works.

The ran out of the cave, and jumped down onto the lower platform. They jumped right into the lave, but they didn't sink. They are standing on top of it, and ran on it. Once they entered the tunnel, they followed it until they reached another lava fall in it and to their left if a statue that looks like it could move. They stepped onto the stone, and started to pull the statue until it wasn't blocking a pathway anymore. Lava started to flow down the pathway. Gajeel heard something being shot up in the air outside, and grabbed Lucy's wrist.

Gajeel dragged Lucy out of the tunnel, and saw that the geyser was shooting lava into the air. They looked at each other, and saw the red glow was starting to disappear. Then it hit them like a ton of bricks. They are timed with using the blood. They quickly jumped out of the lava, and started to climb up the rock wall again. Once they were at the entrance, the red glow disappeared. They let out a breath. Another almost death experience for Lucy, and Gajeel's first one. Gajeel looked at the geyser again, and then up at the mountains.

"Lucy, the geyser is acting as a transporter to go up in the mountains. We're going to need to blood again," Gajeel explained to her.

"Who knew that Metal Head had a brain," Lucy teased walking away.

Gajeel looked at her shocked, yet mad. "Hey! I've always had a brain! I'm smarter then Salamander! He just goes right into the fight, while I observe the opponent, and then strike!"

"That's not what I see," Lucy mumbled, knowing that Gajeel heard it.

Gajeel mumbled a few curse words, and walked right next to Lucy, who was giggling.

Once they were glowing red again, they ran out of the cave, and jumped on the land below them. They ran across the lava, and over to the geyser. When it was about to shot more lava, Lucy and Gajeel stood over it. When it shot the lava in the air, the two went with it, and landed on the platform that was higher up. They saw another geyser, and went on that one. It shot them up to the next one, and they were soon on top of the mountain. The red glow faded, and they turned around to face something that was bent over, silver, long, and had a big circle on top of it. Lucy and Gajeel walked forward. The thing shot up faster then the speed of light, and a gate closed behind it. The thing faced them, and they saw that it was an eye.

"It's an Eye of Mūn. It won't let us pass. We aren't people from this world," Lucy said. Gajeel looked at her confused. "The Eye of Mūn recognizes people from this world. They also recognize the people who are with darkness, or people who are not with this world. So, it will only let people pass who aren't with darkness, and are from this world," She explained, and Gajeel nodded his head, saying that he understood.

Lucy got out her whip, and made it smack the Eye of Mūn right in the middle of its eye. The eye rolled a few times before falling to the ground. The gate opened up, and they walked through it. It leads them to another tunnel, and they followed it. As they walked, the tunnels started to be darker, and only Gajeel can see clearly. Lucy wrapped her arms around Gajeel's right arm, and stayed close to him because she couldn't see where she is going. Gajeel looked at her confused, but soon got it as the tunnels grew to pitch black.

Occasionally they would hear something moaning, and walked a little faster until they didn't hear it anymore. As the walked, they heard a noise that sounded like something screaming, and it was heading right to them. Gajeel picked up Lucy bridle style, and ran as fast as he can. _The only reason why I'm holding Bunny Girl like this is because she can't see where is going if she runs! _Gajeel thought to himself, ignoring the feeling in his stomach. The screaming noise was head once again, but closer this time. Gajeel felt Lucy wrap her arms around his neck, and bury her face in his chest. He knew the noise was freaking her out, and he won't lie; the noise was something that he never heard before in his life too. The scream sounded like someone was in such pain, agony, sadness, and much more. It was even more high pitched then normal.

Gajeel sensed something right next to him, and turned his head to the right. He saw big red eyes next to him, and fangs that were bigger then normal. Lucy turned her head around, and saw what Gajeel saw. What ever it was petrified her. She never saw such big fangs in her life, and the red eyes are screaming _KILL!_ Gajeel threw Lucy onto his shoulder, and used Iron Dragon's Club. The thing was sent through a wall, and Gajeel started to run faster. Light started to shine at the other side of the tunnel, and the Iron Dragon Slayer ran faster. Once they reached the end of the tunnel, the creature bursted behind them, coming out of a wall.

They exited the tunnel, and Gajeel put Lucy down. They quickly turned around, and saw the creature. It was about fifteen feet tall, the whole thing was a skeleton of a gigantic bat, the wings are the biggest part of the body, and is eighteen feet on both sides. It started to flap its wings, and the wind started to push Gajeel and Lucy back with great force. Once the wind stopped, the two mages got right to action.

"Open! Gate of the Golden Bull! Taurus!" Lucy yelled holding out Taurus' key.

Taurus appeared. "Moo! It's nice to see Lucy's gorgeous body again!"

Lucy slapped her forehead. "Can you help us take out the Skeleton Bat, please?"

Taurus ran after the big skeleton creature, and sliced it with his axe. While Taurus was facing the bat, Gajeel expanded his stomach and mouth for his breath attack.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" Gajeel yelled.

The breath hit the bat creature, and it went flying into a wall. Taurus used the opportunity, and slashed at the creature. He cut it in half, and turned around to see if he brought the creature down. The upper half fell to the side, and the bottom part fell forward. It started to glow a dark purple, and then disappeared. Lucy thanked Taurus, and sent him back to the spirit world. Gajeel and Lucy nodded at each other, and walked away from where they were standing.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry that's I didn't upload it right away. Also, sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes. The next chapter will be up ASAP!**


	4. Arc Four

**Authors Note: Hey everyone. Sorry for the late update! I was busy these past few weeks. I wanted to get this chapter done before the end of the month. So, here you go. Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. **

_**Arc Four **_

After they explored the area with no problem, Gajeel and Lucy found themselves with another task. Trying to find a way to cross the river of lava that split the land into two. The blood isn't around to help them get across; neither is a bridge, rope, or even rocks to jump across to the other land.

Lucy sighed. _This place is just a mess. _She thought. She looked at Gajeel. He seemed to be in deep thought about something. Lucy walked away from him, and started to search for something that could be of use to them.

Still nothing.

Lucy sighed in frustration. She walked up to a rock, and carefully leaned her back against it. Lucy looked side to side. Nothing is around to attack her. She let out a breath that didn't know she was holding, and looked over at Gajeel. Gajeel looked at her, and shrugged, meaning that he couldn't find/think of a way to help them cross the river.

Gajeel walked over to her, and leaned on the rock next to her, crossing his arms over his chest. _If only Kita gave us more information… _He thought. He looked up towards the sky, and saw the full moon out.

"Lucy, time to make camp. Its night time," Gajeel said letting out a sigh.

For once, Gajeel doesn't even feel comfortable sleeping. He looked over at Lucy, and saw slight fear written in her eyes. He could sense that she wasn't comfortable sleeping too. Sleeping in an unknown, wacky, messed up place can really get a person freaked out. The two got off the rock and started to go to the cave they found earlier.

Once they entered the cave, they sat down on separate sides, and looked out to the land. Lucy was mad for forgetting her stuff, especially if it had their food in it. She knew they needed to reach a village fast if they wanted to survive out here, and she is pretty sure that they things out here won't be the best to eat… Mainly if they are mostly made out of bones, and want to eat you too. Lucy looked at Gajeel, and saw that his eyes lids are starting to drop, but he made them go right back open. She walked over to him, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sleep. I'll watch, and make sure everything is okay until I fall asleep, got it?" Lucy said, her voice calm.

Gajeel looked at her. "You sure, Bunny Girl?"

Lucy nodded. "I'm sure. Just sleep. We have a big day tomorrow,"

Gajeel nodded and closed his eyes. Lucy smiled, and sat down on the side next to him that was closest to the entrance. Soon, everything turned dark, and the moonlight made it possible to see. She tried falling asleep a few times, but something kept her from sleeping. She sensed something evil lurking in the area, but thought that it was her imagination. Lucy looked at Gajeel. His face was peaceful while he slept, and it didn't have that stoic look. With him at great peace, she felt more at ease, and soon drifted off to sleep herself… Ignoring her gut feeling…

Gajeel's eyes shot right open when he heard many footsteps in the area. He looked out the entrance, and saw many things coming near the cave. He felt something on his right shoulder, and saw Lucy asleep on it. She was at peace, and he didn't want to ruin that, but if something is near them that could be dangerous, it would be a good idea to wake her up. He looked outside the cave more, and saw many human figures coming, but they looked _too _skinny to be human.

Gajeel's dragon-like senses started to kick in. He finally saw the glowing red eyes, weapons, armor, and the bodies that are made of bone.

Yup. It's time to wake up Lucy.

Gajeel shook her shoulder lightly, hoping that she didn't make any sound. Lucy stirred, and slowly opened her eyes. Gajeel moved so her was in front of her, and saw that she was about to scream. He covered her mouth with his hand. It took her a minute to realize that it was Gajeel, and she stopped herself from screaming.

Lucy sat up more, and looked at Gajeel. His red eyes showed that he is on high alert. That told her that something is in the area, and he sensed it. He slowly pointed towards the entrance of the cave. When her eyes adjusted to the moonlight, she saw the red eyes that were all over the area. The weapons they are holding are spears, swords, axes, and katanas. The armor that was on their bodies and the helmet had many spikes going in a complete line in the middle of it. She then noticed that they were _too _skinny, and noticed that they are nothing, but bone. Fear filled her brown eyes. _The skeleton warriors that work for the dark mages at the Castle of Pain! _She thought scared.

"Those are skeleton warriors?" Lucy asked in a very low whisper.

Gajeel nodded. "And from the looks of it, they are searching for something or someone…"

Lucy stayed quiet. If she remembers the information that Kita told them, they have very good senses, and can pick up any movement or sound. She gulped. They can't catch a break. The two mages stayed close together, afraid that the other might disappear.

Lucy almost squealed if it weren't for Gajeel putting a hand over her mouth… Again. A person bolted from behind a rock, and tried to out run the soldiers. Though, the person had bad luck, and got caught by a skeleton warrior. Lucy never saw something move that fast in her life. The skeleton warrior pinned the poor person up against the rock it tried to escape with, and brought a knife next to his throat. The person was still alive, but the warrior drew some blood from pressing the knife too hard.

Lucy cuddled close next to Gajeel, this was just too horrifying. Gajeel put an arm very slowly around her waist, and pulled her close. He felt the need to run, and that's saying something. Black Steel Gajeel never runs away from anything. Then he saw a person covered head to toe with a black cloak on, and walk up to the caught person.

Gajeel couldn't make out what he is saying, but got the idea when the skeleton warrior knocked the person out, and throw him over its shoulder. _Someone just got recruited into that army. _He thought. Gajeel felt Lucy shift a little, and saw that she was in deep thought, probably trying to figure out who that person is.

The cloaked figure motioned for the skeleton warriors to follow him. They did what they were told, and got into two perfect lines. What surprised the two of them the most was when a bridge glowed underneath their feet. Their eyes widened. They looked at each other, and then back at the bridge. They knew that the bridge was the only way for them to get out of this area.

Once the skeleton warriors were out of sight, they dashed for it. When the bridge just started to disappear, they were on the other side of it. Gajeel looked around to see if anything was around that could harm them. Nothing was around that he could see or sense.

Lucy yawned, and looked towards the sky. The sun was just starting to come out. _We almost slept through the night. That's actually good. _She thought. Lucy stretched her arms, and looked at Gajeel.

"You ready to continue?" Lucy asked.

Gajeel smirked. "I'm always ready,"

Lucy smiled, and the two turned around, ready to face anything that came their way.

**Sorry for the chapter being short. I just wanted my fellow readers to get an idea of what Gajeel and Lucy are up against. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm also sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes. **

**If stuff is still confusing, don't be afraid to ask me to clear things up with me, okay? **


	5. Arc Five

**Authors Note: Hey everyone. Sorry for the late update! I had stuff going on, and now I'm finding the time to work on it. I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far. I like writing it. Well, Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail. **

_**Arc Five**_

"So, do you have any idea how to get up that wall?" Gajeel asked Lucy.

Lucy looked at him, and then the wall that was blocking their path. The wall was like the one they had to climb up to get to the blood, but this time, it is packed with spiders that are the size of a full grown horse. They have one eye, and that made Lucy a little uneasy. With the way they are acting too, tells her that they don't like people much.

Lucy let out a frustrated sigh. This place was getting more, and more complicated. She looked at the wall one more time, and jumped when one spider started to attack another. With the two spiders fighting, blood started to drip down the wall, and splatter everywhere. Her large brown eyes widened when one of them fell down in front of her dead.

Gajeel just stared at it, but put an arm in front of Lucy, just in case it isn't dead, and decides to attack them. He soon smelled the air, and the smell of death filled his nostrils. _Yup, it's dead. _Gajeel thought. He looked at the other spiders, and grunted. _We could wait until they all decide to attack, and kill each other, but that might take days, or weeks. By then, it will probably be too late. _He thought. Gajeel looked at Lucy, and saw that she is in deep thought. He smirked, and flicked her head.

"Whatcha thinking about, Bunny Girl?" Gajeel asked.

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts, and narrowed her eyes at Gajeel. "I was thinking of a plan, but someone made me lose my train of thought,"

"Well, do ya mind telling me what you were planning?" Gajeel asked with a stoic face. "We're going to have to work together if we want this place back to normal,"

Lucy sighed. Gajeel has a very good point. They need to think of a plan together and not just one think of a plan. From what she learned about this world so far, you need to strategize before you take the next step. Lucy looked at Gajeel, and then started to talk.

"Do you think that you can use your roar to get them off the wall?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, but that will make them fall down here. Are you willing to fight them?" Gajeel looked at her.

Lucy nodded, and got out her whip. The look of determination filled her features. Gajeel smirked. _There is a reason why I've always been interested in her. _He thought. He got in his battle stance, and used his breath attack. The four spiders fell to the ground, and quickly go back up. Gajeel made his arm go into Iron Dragon's Sword, and ran at them. With one flick of her wrist, Lucy had the whip around one spider, and she tossed it to Gajeel. He cut it in half, and cut one spider's eye. Blood started to drip out of the eye, and the spider started to run around frantically. That spider soon went over the edge, and into the boiling lava.

Lucy looked around. Two down, two more to go. Lucy saw a spider about to attack Gajeel from behind, and whipped her whip at it. She whacked it on the head, and it turned around to face her. It dashed after her, and jumped in the air. The blonde beauty dodged the spider, and whacked it's behind with the whip. The giant bug made a terrifying noise, and dashed after Lucy again. When Lucy dodged the spider, she tripped over a rock, and landed on her back. She cursed under her breath. She rolled to the side when the spider was about to bit her, and watched it plunge its head into the ground. Lucy took the opportunity, and quickly got up.

"Lucy Kick!" Lucy yelled.

Lucy kicked the thing in its neck, and watched it go limp. She whacked it with her whip one more time, just to make sure that it's dead. When the spider didn't move or make a noise, and she let out a breath. Lucy looked over at to her left, and saw Gajeel walking away from a dead spider. He gave her a smirk, and motioned for her to follow him. She smiled at him, and followed him.

Once they climbed up the wall, the two Fairy Tail mages found themselves in a cave that had torches lighting up the hallway. Lucy walked ahead of Gajeel, and saw that the left side of the tunnel is missing. It was an other river of lava. She moved closer to the wall, and continued to walk ahead. Gajeel walked away from his spot so he could catch up.

While Lucy was walking, she saw something on the wall blink. She stopped dead on her tracks. Gajeel stopped next to her, and looked at the blonde with a confused look. Lucy saw something blink again, and pushed Gajeel on the wall. He gritted his teeth when his back hit the wall, and shot Lucy a glare. Lucy waited a few seconds. The thing opened up to reveal a red eye. It shot a straight laser, and then closed its eye again. Gajeel saw the whole thing, and thanked Lucy. She smiled as a "your welcome", and continued to walk forward.

They only ran into the eyes problem one more time before everything was clear. As the continued to walk, they saw that the black rock was split into two, and a railing on the wall. Lucy checked to see if there were any eyes again. Everything is clear. She grabbed onto the railing, and slowly moved across it. Once she was on the other side, she motioned for Gajeel to follow her lead. Gajeel grabbed onto the railing, and moved across it faster then Lucy. He was over on the other side before Lucy could blink.

Gajeel smirked at Lucy before walking ahead, leaving Lucy looking at him. She shook her head, and walked after him.

Once they exited the cave, they entered a plateau with another cave entrance on the other side. They walked across the plateau, and into the other cave. The next cave looked like a regular one, but the atmosphere was a little… _off_. Lucy put a hand over her whip, and Gajeel paid more close attention to what his senses are telling him. He doesn't smell, hear, or see anything, but he is still on high alert.

As they walked through the cave, they noticed that it started to become a little brighter on the other side, telling them that they are close to the exit. Lucy let out a breath. She was glad that they weren't attacked, and that nothing bad happened to them. She looked over at Gajeel, and saw that he was relieved as well.

When they exited the cave, they saw that the rock color changed to tan, and a building on the far left. Gajeel look at Lucy, wanting to know what they should do. Lucy looked back at him with her brown eyes telling them to go to that building. The Iron Dragon Slayer was very unsure, but it looked like the only way out of this area. He followed after his beautiful partner, and looked for any sign of danger. Gajeel looked around a few times, and saw the Castle of Pain in view. It looked close to them, but in reality, it was farther away. He could sense the ray's power from here, and he hoped that he wouldn't face the true power of it.

Lucy stopped, and looked at the path ahead of her. The path way split into jumping distance rocks. She sensed Gajeel behind her, and looked at him. Gajeel kept his stoic face, but she saw worry in his eyes. _What is he worried about? _Lucy thought. She looked left, and then right. The blonde saw the Castle of Pain. Lucy knew why Gajeel was uneasy now. The side of the ray was facing them, shooting more power into the sky. She put a hand on one of his arms, and he looked at her. She gave him a reassuring smile, and jumped onto the rock across from her.

Gajeel followed close behind until they reach the building. It is made a pure white stone, and looked ancient. Though, the blood on the ground said otherwise. He walked passed the scared blonde girl, and over to the blood. He bent down, and got a whiff of the smell. Lucy moved next to Gajeel, and looked at him. When he stood up, his red eyes looked right into brown ones.

"This blood is fresh," Gajeel told Lucy. He noticed how pale she got. "Which means that whatever happened here, happened while we were fighting the spiders. I've got a gut feeling that our skeleton _friends _did this to the guy they caught. We should keep moving," Gajeel growled when he mentioned "friends".

Lucy nodded, and turned around. She saw something floating in the air, and went up to it. It was a floating circle in the middle of the building, with an unknown symbol in the middle of it, and the edges were sparkling. She touched it, and was surprised when her hand didn't go through it. She put her foot on it, and it didn't go through. She called Gajeel over, and showed him what she found. He thought that it was there to transport them to the next floor.

They both got on it, and it started to move up. Once they reached the top, they got off, and saw a bridge that looked like the one when they saw with the skeleton warriors. The two mages walked across it, and reached another building. It looked the same, except it had writing on it. She tried to translate it, but she couldn't figure it out. She sighed, and ran to catch up with Gajeel, who walked ahead.

When the two reached the other building, he saw a chest, and decided to go check it out. He heard footsteps behind him, and looked over his shoulder for a minute. It was Lucy running to catch up. He snickered, and continued to walk forward. Once he reached the chest, he opened it up. Lucy stopped next to him, and saw that the chest contained a bag, and an amulet. The amulet had hallway drawings in the middle of it.

Lucy examined the bag and amulet. She felt magic coming from the both of them, and stared to think over. The amulet looks like it could be a key for something. She started to think more, ignoring the curious stares Gajeel is giving her. She smiled, and held up the amulet to Gajeel.

"This is an offering to the portal god, Pýli̱. This will get us to another place," Lucy said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She put the Hallway Amulet in the bag. "I believe this bag has magic," She gave Gajeel the bag. "Think about me, and see what happens," Gajeel looked at her weirdly, but did what she said. He thought about Lucy, and he saw the bag disappear from his hands, and saw it appear on her shoulder. "This stuff can come in handy!"Gajeel ruffled Lucy's hair while smirking. Lucy shot him a glare, and started to fix her hair. After she fixed her hair, the two mages started to walk away from the chest… Until the ground started shaking underneath them. They stopped in their tracks, and looked at each other. Lucy had fear written in her eyes, while Gajeel had a _What the Hell _look. The Iron Dragon Slayer sensed some power coming from the castle. He looked up, and saw that the ray was loading powers… and pointing at them.

Gajeel acted quickly, and grabbed Lucy by her hand. He ran while dragging her across the large platform. He looked over at the castle again, and saw that it was about to fire the ray. Gajeel ran faster, with Lucy struggling to catch up. She knew what was going on. She saw the ray powering up.

Then, the ray fired. It hit the building right underneath their feet, it started to crumble, and fall from its place. Lucy and Gajeel started to fall with it. Gajeel looked at Lucy, grabbed her waist, and brought her into a protective embrace. The Celestial mage blushed, but put her arms around Gajeel's neck while they fell to the ground under them.

**I won't be able to update for a few days because I have something going on. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I didn't know when to end it, so I ended it like that. Don't worry; there will be more chapters to come. Sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes. My eyes don't catch them sometimes.**

**If anything is confusing, please PM me. **


	6. Arc Six

**Authors Note: Wow, we are already on chapter six. I think that this story is going to be a little bit longer then my other stories. Though, we'll have to see what happens in the future. I'm glad that you are all enjoying the story. I was actually was going to write some rated M scenes in this (not sexual), but I just figured to keep it rated T. I know some people probably can't handle blood and gore, so I'll keep it on the down low. **

**Anyway, Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and the characters. **

_**Arc Six**_

Lucy groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her body is in so much pain from the fall. She shook her head, and opened her eyes completely. She is facing Gajeel, and she noticed that they have each other in a protective embrace. She turned crimson red, but shook her head. Lucy needed to make sure that Gajeel is okay. She doesn't want anything to happen to her secret crush, comrade, and friend.

Lucy got out of his embrace, and shook his shoulder. Gajeel slowly opened his eyes, and saw his partner for this mission with a worried face on. He sat up slowly, and gritted his teeth from the pain he felt. He looked at the blonde with a stoic face, but his red eyes showed worry. They fell a great feet, and he didn't think that they would survive it. When he saw her up and moving, he felt a lot better.

Lucy saw the worry swimming in his red eyes, and gave him a reassuring smile. She saw him relax a little bit, and that made her relax. She realized that the two of them were so close to knocking on death's door. She shivered at the thought. The Celestial Mage looked at the Iron Dragon Slayer again, and slowly put a hand on his shoulder.

Gajeel looked at Lucy, and gave her his signature grin. When her hand left his shoulder, he quickly got up on his two feet (ignoring the pain) and held out a hand to her. Lucy gave him a heart warming smile, and accepted it. Gajeel grinned again, and helped her up on her own two feet.

Lucy almost whimpered when Gajeel let go of her hand, but she wouldn't whimper in front of him. She knows that he is smart, and can tell if she likes him or not.

Lucy was brought out of her thoughts of the sexy man known as Gajeel when she heard something suck in air, and moan at the same time. She turned around, and squealed.

A statue just breathed gold air, and the solid eyes glowed red. The body was a lion, and the head was of a man. The whole statue was made of gold, and it had a circle on the top of it. When Lucy looked at it more, the circle reminded her of the Hallway amulet they found before the ray was fired at them, except it doesn't have any symbols, marks, etc. Its mouth opened up, and moved closer to them.

"It's Pýli̱. He must recognize the Hallway Amulet we found," Gajeel said taking the bag from Lucy, and walked over to it. Lucy stayed glued to Gajeel's arm the whole time. He looked at her with his stoic "Stay close to me just in case something happens, but it already looks like you got that down…" He mumbled the last part.

Gajeel opened the bag, and got out then Hallway Amulet. He held it up with one hand, and watched as the statue's eyes glowed green. He wrapped his left arm around Lucy's waist, and watched as the statue let out a scream, and incased them in a red bubble. The red bubble went up into the air, and into its mouth.

Lucy and Gajeel felt the thing move, and closed their eyes. Lucy buried her face into Gajeel's side, and Gajeel started to feel nauseous. Soon, they felt solid ground underneath their feet, and opened their eyes. They saw a hallway made of tan colored bricks going straight in one direction, and on the right led down to another hallway, but they saw a post with the skull of a bull on the top, with glowing red eyes. It is blocking a door. _A Deadly Eye of Mūn post… _Lucy thought scared.

"Gajeel, something big must be happening in that room for a deadly post to be there," Lucy said.

"No, really?" Gajeel said sarcastic. Lucy glared at him, but he ignored it.

Lucy let out a frustrated sigh, and walked away from the spot she was standing at. Gajeel looked at her surprised. He never thought that Lucy would just walk away from him, in an unknown world. Mainly enemy territory! He recognized the smell of skeleton warriors they saw last night, and smelt them in here. He looked at the blonde haired beauty, and saw that she was about to enter another room. Gajeel ran after her, and slowed down to her walking speed when he reached her side.

Once they entered another room, horror filled Lucy's features, while anger filled Gajeel's. They saw many people in about ten cells on each side of the wall. They are all thin, but not too thin. They looked so scared, helpless, and sad. Little kids, mothers, fathers, grandparents where looking at them, with their eyes saying _please help us get out of here_.

Lucy felt something wet fall down her cheeks, and touched her face. She is crying. She sniffed once, and wiped the tears off her face. She felt a strong hand on her right shoulder, and looked at Gajeel. He gave her a barely visible smile. Lucy felt her cheeks burn up and also felt the butterflies in her stomach. _He… He smiled? _Lucy thought happily. _That's the first time I saw him smile… He looks even more handsome when he does! _

"You smiled," Lucy said surprised, yet happy.

"Only this once, Bunny Girl," Gajeel said grinning. "You're the only person who ever saw it. Pantherlily hasn't even seen it yet. Just don't think you're going to see it again," He put his stoic face back on, and walked away.

Gajeel couldn't believe that he just _smiled_. He never smiled. _Never_. He was happy that Bunny Girl saw it first. He wouldn't admit that out loud though; his pride and reputation didn't allow it. Gajeel also enjoyed the red that formed on her cheeks. It made him was to grin in victory, but with the situation right now, it's not the best time.

Lucy walked over to the first cell on the left side, and smiled at everyone. The people backed away, and looked at her with fear in their eyes. She heard something behind her, and saw her Dragon Slayer partner walk up to her. She gave him a wink, and turned towards to trembling people.

"Please calm down. We aren't going to hurt you, we are going to help you," Lucy said in a calm and soothing voice. "We are wizards from a world called Earthland that were sent to bring this world back to normal," Lucy got out Taurus' key. She turned around, and summoned Taurus. "Please break down the cell, and the rest of them. Gajeel, break down the other cells too. Also, don't scare them." Lucy walked to the door leading back to the other room, and stood in front of it.

Lucy watched as Taurus and Gajeel broke down the cell bars, and the people rushed out of the cells. The freed prisoners stopped in front of her, with thankful smiles on their faces. That made Lucy smile at them.

"Lucy!" Gajeel called her. Lucy looked at him after she was done talking to Taurus, and waited for what else he has to say. "I've got a situation over here!"

Lucy told Taurus to watch everyone while she was with Gajeel. When she walked up to him. He pointed to the inside of the cell, and the Celestial Wizard walked into the cell.

Lucy felt her heart break in her chest. A little boy is hiding in the corner of the cell with his hands covering his face. He didn't do a good job at hiding the tears and fear written all over his face. Lucy slowly walked up to him, and knelt down in front of him. He tried to back away farther way from her, but the wall stopped him. He put his knees in front of him, and stared at her with teary eyes.

Gajeel watched as Lucy put a hand on one of his knees. He saw that she was being gentle with the little boy. He almost smiled, but kept his stoic face on. _I'm surprised that Natsu hasn't made her his mate yet. She would make a perfect wife, and barrier of children… _Gajeel thought, but he knew that it wasn't the right time to go find a mate. The Iron Dragon Slayer walked over to Lucy, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, Kid. Lucy and I are here to help you," Gajeel said. His voice wasn't gentle, but truthful. "We are going to get rid of the darkness for ya, and after we destroy the Castle of Pain, we will go see you in your village. That's a promise, and Fairy Tail wizards always keep their promises,"

Lucy blushed, and smiled. Gajeel had a very good point. Her smile grew bigger when the little boy smiled, jumped up, and hugged Lucy. She hugged back, and watched as he gave Gajeel a hug too. She watched her partner pat his head.

Lucy stood up when the little boy ran off, and gave a little smile. She felt Gajeel's hand leave her shoulder, and saw him walk out of the cell. She followed him, and walked over to the large group of people. Gajeel instructed them to follow him, and not to stray the path. Lucy and Taurus will stay behind them to make sure nothing attacks them from behind. Gajeel started to walk with the group of freed prisoners behind him. Once they reached the portal of Pýli̱, Lucy gave the little boy the bag with the hallway Amulet.

Lucy remembers that the Amulet doesn't only bring you to its destination; it brings you to your last destination. She told him that when they arrived in the last area, to just think of Lucy and it will appear in her hands. The little boy nodded, and hugged Lucy one more time until she visits him after destroying the Castle of Pain. Gajeel walked up to him, ruffled his hair, and told him to stay out of trouble. The little boy smiled, and walked up to the portal.

Once they transported to the area, Lucy and Gajeel walked to the other hallway on the right. They nodded to each other, and ran in it. The Deadly Eyes of Mūn started to shot many lines of lasers at them. Gajeel dodged them easily, while Lucy was already almost at the door. When Lucy stopped to wait for Gajeel, the Deadly Eye of Mūn post shot one at her. She moved her head away and quickly went in the door once her partner arrived. _That was too close! I need to pay more attention! _Lucy thought panicked. Then she remember her other near death experiences. _To think that I actually learned to be more careful by now! _She mentally slapped herself.

Once they exited that corridor, they saw some skeleton warriors and the cloaked figure from last night. They made their footsteps sound quiet and bent down so they were shorter then the wall. Lucy noticed that they are on an upper level, and the enemy is on the lower level.

Perfect for an ambush.

Lucy told Gajeel her plan, and he nodded. The plan is to use his Iron Dragon's Roar, and she will summon Virgo and Loke. He will go down and attack the skeleton warriors or the cloaked figure. Lucy will help Loke with fighting, while Virgo digs holes in the ground, and closes them when the enemy falls in.

Gajeel and Lucy nodded to each other, and looked over the four foot wall. The enemy was in the middle of a ceremony. Lucy tried not to scream by putting a hand over her mouth. Gajeel put a hand over her hand, which is covering her mouth. A ray was being shot at a person on a table, chained. His body soon flickered so you can see his bones, and in a matter of seconds, his skeleton showed. The other warriors unchained him, and the new skeleton warrior walked down from the table, and bowed to the cloak figure.

Lucy and Gajeel knew it was time to strike. Gajeel stood up quickly, and used his Iron Dragon's roar. Lucy got out Virgo and Loke's keys.

"Loke! Virgo!" Lucy yelled while standing up.

The handsome lion spirit and loyal maid spirit appeared on Lucy's side with a poof of smoke.

"Hello, Princess," They both said.

"Loke, go help Gajeel fight. Virgo dig holes in the ground, and when the enemies fall in, close it back up," Lucy got out her whip. "I'll help you two out the best I can!"

Loke jumped down to the battle. Gajeel was using his Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs, and his Iron Dragon Scales. Gajeel saw a whip fly past his head, and look to his left. Lucy was helping Loke fight skeleton warriors.

Once Gajeel finished the warriors on his side, he saw the cloaked figure trying to get away. _I don't think so. _Gajeel thought while showing his canine teeth. He ran after him, and changed his Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs into Iron Dragon's Sword. He slashed at the cloaked figure, but he missed. The Mysterious man sent a wave of shadows at Gajeel. He slashed at them with his sword. The Iron Dragon slayer made his scales go away. His magic is starting to go down.

The cloaked man sent shadows in the shape of knives at Gajeel. Gajeel deflected them with his sword. He heard something behind him, and turned around. More knives are being directed at him. He got a gash on his right shoulder, right side of his stomach, and left cheek. Blood started to drip down his wounds, but Gajeel didn't care. He knew if he could kill this guy, the problem will be over quicker. He turned around, and sprinted towards the cloaked figure, but stopped when his body turned into a shadow, and went away. The skeleton warriors soon left the fighting, and where gone from sight.

Lucy sent Loke back to the spirit world. Virgo handed her a first AID kit, and disappeared back into the spirit world. The Celestial Wizard looked at the bones scattered all over the floor, and the holes that are covered with the skeleton warriors buried inside them. Lucy looked over her body. She had a cut going across her left thigh, and a bunch of bruises that will heal over night. Blood trickled down her thigh, but she ignored it, and ran over to Gajeel.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked while she wiped the blood off of Gajeel's cheek.

"Perfectly fine," Gajeel said. He looked at the bruises and the one cut on her body. "Are you okay?"

She smiled at him. _He is actually worried about me? Maybe he likes me back? No, he doesn't. He is being a good friend. _"I'm fine. Just let me clean you up."

After Lucy toke care of their injuries, they stood up, and looked around the room. Gajeel spotted something, and walked up to it. He smirked, and picked it up. Gajeel started walking over to Lucy to tell her that he found a way out of the area.

Lucy felt a magical presence, and saw the bag appear. She reached out both of her hands, and saw the bag drop onto them. She opened it up, and saw the amulet in there. The Celestial Wizard smiled. The kid did his job well, and she couldn't be more proud.

Lucy turned around, and showed Gajeel that she got the bag back. He gave her a thumbs up, and showed her what he found. She gasped, ran up to the Iron Dragon Slayer, and gently toke the object from his hands.

It was another amulet, but this time, it has a building in the middle of it with water surrounding it. She figured that it will lead them to a Water Town, but she doesn't know the name of it yet. She told Gajeel, and he said it's time to go to their next destination.

**I'm sorry if the fighting scene was horrible. I suck at writing fighting scenes. They are really hard for me. **

**Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. It was hard to write this one, and that does not include the fighting scene. Please stay tuned for Chapter 7. **


	7. Arc Seven

**Authors Note: Hello! Sorry for the late update! I'm trying to figure out when and how I'm going to update my two stories. I know, you must be thinking that writing two stories isn't that hard, but it is. Trust me on that one. I honor those who are doing one or more stories at a time. Anyway, here is the next chapter to "The Dangerous Mission". **

**Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail and the characters.**

_**Arc Seven**_

Gajeel and Lucy walked up to the Portal of Pýli̱, and nodded to each other. They are already going to their next destination, and they are praying that it is one-step closer to completing the mission.

Lucy held out the amulet with the water markings, and saw Pýli̱ accept it. Its eyes glowed green and the mouth opened wide. A red circle appeared around them, and brought them into its mouth. Lucy and Gajeel closed their eyes, still not used to the feeling of being transported to another area yet.

Once they felt the circle go away, they found themselves falling. Lucy squealed and Gajeel just kept his stoic face. They landed in water, quickly sat up, and looked around.

"Looks like we landed in a sewer," Gajeel said getting up.

Lucy turned pale, and quickly got up after him. "Why would that God make us land in _sewer _water?" She mumbled.

Gajeel shrugged, and looked around some more. He couldn't sense anything dangerous and relaxed a little bit. He motioned for Lucy to follow him, and she did.

They walked more around the sewer tunnels, and soon found a door. Lucy opened it, and they soon saw sea waves flowing around a city. Gajeel walked past Lucy, and saw a ladder to his left. He started to climb up the ladder, with Lucy not far behind him. Once they got on a stone platform, they saw a bird the size of a person standing there looking at them surprised.

"Oh! What a lovely surprise! Welcome to Mizu*!" He said. The human-bird walked up to them in a calm manor. Gajeel saw no threat. "We don't really get visitors around this city since the water has been infested with the electric eels, and they make the water have electricity. It sadly makes the water dangerous to swim in," He said looking down at the ground sad.

Lucy remembered Kita saying something about water being dangerous to swim in. She looked at the bird guy with pity, and prayed that there is something her and Gajeel can do about it.

The Bird guy continued. "Not to mention, the villagers are cursed to have bird forms. Ever since those two mages came along not long ago, everything has been going down hill," He said getting even sadder. "But some villagers didn't get affected by the curse, thankfully," Hope filled his features after he mentioned that.

Gajeel remembered Kita saying something about people turning into dog and bird creatures. _This must be one of the towns. _He thought. Gajeel glanced at Lucy, and saw her glancing at him too. They gave each other a look, saying that they remember this information.

"Though, rumor has it that two mages have entered this world, and are going to bring the evil mages down! What good news!" The bird guy was literally jumping up and down. "Rumor also has it that they are from…" He saw Lucy and Gajeel's guild marks, and ran over to them. "You're them! The ones here to save us!"

His screaming drew people over, and many saw what he was excited about. They all cheered, grabbed the two Fairy Tail mages by their arms and hands, and started to pull them away from the stone edge. Gajeel growled and glared at them for touching him, while Lucy turned red from all the worshiping they are receiving.

The town's people showed them around the city. They even showed them the Museum they just opened up a year ago, the Mayor's palace, and the docks where the people park their boats. They met some of the guards, and soon they entered the Mayor's palace.

The palace had red carpets, bird people walking around and talking, and the bricks are made of iron and stone mixed together. Gajeel started to feel his mouth water, and made his way over to the wall. Lucy grabbed the back of his shirt, and dragged him away from the iron, saying that he cannot eat the Mayor's palace.

The Town's people waited for them, and two bird people opened up the two large doors. They welcome them in, and the two mages slowly walked in. Lucy and Gajeel gave each other looks, and then focused on what is happening ahead of them.

The Mayor, a fat bird that can't even see his toes, got up, and welcomed them with open arms. He hugged Gajeel, but the Iron Dragon Slayer didn't hug back. Then he hugged Lucy, and she politely hugged the Mayor. While she hugged the Mayor, she gave Gajeel _you better be a little polite, Dragon Boy! _look. Gajeel just nodded, and smirked.

Two of the Mayor's counsel vultures, gave each other a look. They watched the Mayor talk so openly to the two "heroes" of the land. An evil look crossed their faces, and they excused themselves for a little bit.

After the talk with the Mayor, he declared that they will have a feast tonight for honoring the two wizards coming to save the world. Everyone cheered, and got to work for preparing for the feast. Gajeel and Lucy looked at each other, and were soon dismissed to their room.

As they walked down the guest hallway, the guard started to speak with them. "I'm sorry, but you have to share a room tonight. The other guest rooms have been taken by the counsel members for two months. I hope you forgive us," He said.

Lucy was about to protest about sleeping in the same room with a man (that happens to be the man she secretly loves), but Gajeel cut her off. "We understand. Do you know what time we should meet everyone for the dinner tonight?"

The guard opened their bedroom door for them. "Seven should be the right time. Also, where nice clothing. The Mayor would like you two to be dressed nicely tonight. And take a bath, you two smell like sewer water," He closed the door behind him, and walked away.

Lucy turned red with embarrassment, and Gajeel just growled.

"So, what do you think of Mizu so far?" Lucy asked looking around the room.

The room had white brick walls, a few arched windows that give you a wonderful view of the ocean. The floor was covered with red carpet, and the bed was a queen size bed with white covers on it, and silk pillows.

"It certainly is a friendly town," Gajeel said watching his partner check out the bathroom.

The bathroom had silver tile, a marble bathtub, shower and sink. The walls had many towels hanging on hooks. Lucy will gladly say that she is impressed, but expected it to be like this.

"You got that one right," Lucy said walking over to the bed, and sat right down on it. She bounced a little, and soon felt the comfort of the nice bed.

It certainly beats sleeping in a cave.

"Though, I must say… Those vultures from earlier didn't look happy to see us," Lucy said looking at Gajeel.

Gajeel looked at her with his blood red eyes that always made her blush a little. His stoic face turned into a thinking one. "I noticed that too. We need to keep our eyes on them while we are in this town," His face then turned to amusement. "The guard was right. You _do _smell like sewer water,"

"You shouldn't be talking!" Lucy snapped. Gajeel did his famous laugh. "I'm going to take a shower. After I'm done, get in it too. We need to get ready for tonight's feast." She soon entered the bathroom, and Gajeel heard the water turn on not long after that.

After the two of them finished taking their showers, and getting dressed, they looked at each other.

Lucy is wearing a black silk cloth that went over one shoulder, and covered her chest with layers of the black silk. Then she had on a thick black silk mini skirt that tied to the right side of her hip, and is longer on the other side. She is wearing black two-inch heels, and she left her hair down. Lucy loved the way it felt, and made her look. It may show some skin, but it looked simple and sexy at the same time. Gajeel thought that too, but wouldn't admit it aloud.

Lucy looked Gajeel over, and thought that he looked sexy as well. He is wearing a black bandana over his forehead, still showing the studs over his eyes. He is shirtless, and had black baggy tunic pants tucked into his black combat boots. His messy black hair enhanced his looks, and the stoic face made him look even hotter in the outfit. His red eyes made the bandana look better on his forehead.

"Looking good, Mr. Redfox," Lucy said smirking at him.

Gajeel's voice sounded husky. "You're looking rather good yourself, Bunny Girl…"

Lucy turned red, and speed walked over to the door. "We better get going. Don't want to be late,"

Gajeel did his famous laugh, and followed her out of the room.

Once they arrived at the grand dinning room, music was playing, food was being served, and the people were chatting with each other about random things. As they walked further into the room, the Mayor walked up to them, complemented them, and showed them were they are sitting. They sat on the floor, and crossed their legs like everyone else in the room. They straightened their backs, and watched as the music stopped, and everyone listened to the Mayor speak.

"Today, we celebrate the two wizards who have come to help this world," The Mayor said pointing one of his arms towards Lucy and Gajeel. "Welcome… Lucy Heartfillia and Gajeel Redfox!" Everyone cheered, and clapped. Lucy smiled, while Gajeel just grunted. Parties are not his thing. "Now, let's enjoy the feast and pray for a better future!"

The whole night, the bird people drank, ate, and talked about what's going on with the world. Some even talked to Gajeel and Lucy, and asked them questions. Gajeel didn't really want to answer, but Lucy persuaded him into answering. Lucy would usually smile, and answer them.

While everyone was parting, the two vultures came back, and started to talk to the Mayor. Gajeel saw them from the corner of his eyes, turned his head slightly, and relied on his excellent sense of hearing.

"Mayor, are you going to the Museum celebration tomorrow?" The taller one asked.

"Of course. It _is _the opening for the new exhibit. I would love to welcome everyone," The Mayor answered.

"Good. That's all we need to know. Have a good day, and see you tomorrow." Said the shorter one.

Gajeel narrowed his eyes as he watched them leave the dinning room. As time passed, Lucy and Gajeel walked back to their room, and sat down on the bed. During the dinner, they said that they are willing to share a bed for as long as they are staying in Mizu.

Lucy looked at Gajeel, and saw him looking at her. She turned a bright red, and tried to escape his eyes, but then she saw how serious he looked. "What's going on?"

"Our two vulture 'friends' talked to the Mayor tonight," Gajeel answered. "It looks like they are going to the Museum for an opening ceremony for a new exhibit," Gajeel smirked. "Want to pay a visit to the Museum?"

Lucy smirked. "I'd love too."

**So, what do you guys think? It's been a while, huh? Once again, I'm sorry for the late update. I've got a lot going on. I'll update the next chapter after I update my other story "Babysitting?". **

***Mizu- Japanese for Water **

**Stay tuned for Arc Eight! **


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